We'll get there
by sabaku no Inumi
Summary: It's been 5 years since they brought Gaara back to life. After meeting Sasuke at orochimarus hideout, Naruto took off on his own. Now Suna needs a medic, and who'd be better than Sakura. A slow pace with ups and downs brings her closer to the Redhead of the desert. Rated M for future lemons.
1. 1 - Where we are

Where we are.

" _You were supposed to wait for me" he said softly, as he held the kunai to her throat. "But don't worry, I'll make you see, I'm here now". There was no way out. He had her trapped, and as he forced their eyes to meet, she saw the crazed look on his face. His eyes was showing the madness that possessed him. He took out another kunai and started slicing through her shirt, slowly, as she struggled to get free. "I'm here now, and I will never let you go again"_

 _Her leg got free and sent him flying, as she kicked him hard in the stomach. As he slammed against the wall and fell to the floor, she tried to get her chakra working, but it was no use. As he got up, she could see his anger. "I WILL HAVE YOU" he shouted and threw a kunai, aimed at her head._

(1 year earlier)

A falcon soared above Konoha, carrying a letter with a request. As the messenger made her way through the tower towards the main building, she saw a familiar figure. "Hello Sakura-san! We just received a message from the Sunagakure, the Hokage will want to see this right away" the messenger stated. "I'm on my way to her office, let's walk together". After handing over the scroll, the messenger excused herself and left. "What lesson did you have in mind for today" she started, but Tsunade stopped her. "Sakura. Sunagakure has had an alarming increase in attacks from bandits, and their medic ninja are simply not skilled enough to handle the injuries they are inflicting. The Kazekage has requested that we send a medic ninja to teach the sand ninja. As the most skilled medic for both teaching and healing, I have, I send you" she informed the surprised konoichi. "I know you are equipped to take care of yourself, but as an ambassador of Konoha you will be escorted there. I will tell two teammates to expect you at the gates by midday". Sakura regained her composure, quickly nodded and headed out of the door to begin preparations.

Sakura walked through the streets of Konoha, visiting her parents as she always did before leaving and restocking on some supplies for the trip. With her master's approval she had been in charge of the hospital for now 5 months, she hadn't exactly had a lot of spare time, but it had given her the experience fit for a mission like this. It would be a piece of cake.

As she walked towards the gates, she wondered who her team mates would be. She'd been so busy at the hospital, it'd been a while since she had hung out with any of her friends. She hoped Ino would be one of them. The blonde had been on so many missions lately, and with Sakura so busy at the hospital, they never even ran into each other. Sakura got to the gates early, so she stretched and sat under a nearby tree, waiting for her teammates to show up. Only to fall asleep after just a little while.

Kiba was the first to show up. Riding on Akamarus back, he went to the gates and looked around, spotting the sleeping girl under the tree. He got off Akamaru and went over there as quiet as he could, to look at the pink-haired konoichi. She hadn't been around for a while and he realised he'd missed her hanging out with everyone. He suddenly felt as though he was being watched.

"Don't wake her up!" Lee whispered from right next to him, making Kiba jump. "That wasn't my intention you idiot" Kiba snapped back at the new arrival. ~Guess it means it'll be the four of us going to Suna~ he thought to himself while looking at the sleeping girl right in front of him.

Lee looked away. Blushing madly from seeing his beloved Sakura-chan sleeping, but he didn't want Kiba to see it. Even if he hadn't, Kiba still wouldn't have. He was paralyzed by the sleeping konoichi. ~Damn she's beautiful, I wonder what she's dreaming about~ he thought.

Lee looked back at Kiba again, and saw his eyes fixed on Sakuras face with a gentle smile across his lips. Lees blood was boiling and he said with a loud voice "Sakura-chan, we're all here now, and I think we got to go if we want to beat our record to Suna". Kiba jumped back while glaring Lee, as Sakura rubbed her eyes, "I'm sorry, I guess I was a bit tired. You three must be the ones Tsunade assigned to the mission as my team mates" she said while standing up.

"Yeah, that's right, it's really good to hang out with you again, right Akamaru!" Kiba exclaimed and blushed a bit and went over to the dog who barked affirmatively. "You too and Lee-san too! Is something wrong though? You both seem a little tense?" Kiba shrugged and started to walk through the forest with Akamaru, Lee, and Sakura following him. Sakura soon started running and called out to the boys "I've planned to be in Suna in 3 days so we better hurry".

(Meanwhile in Suna)

"Gaara, the Konoha ninjas are on their way, they should be here in 3 days" Inumi told the young Kazekage. "Thank you. Temari and Kankuro insisted that the medic will be staying with us. The one that I requested is an old friend of theirs. Please find a place for her assistants" the redhead responded. He was looking out the window at the city, now under his care, and thought back to the chunin exams, when he wanted to kill everyone in it. The time he fought Naruto, and had endangered the girl's life, only to have her help save his later. Though he needed a medic, it would've been preferable if she could've been accompanied by his first friend, the one who changed him for the better.

(2 days later…)

"We should be reaching Suna soon, but let's rest for now and run the last bit afterwards, so you should get some sleep. I'll take first watch, Lee-san will take the next and Kiba-kun will take the last one" Sakura decided. The boys merely nodded and went to sleep.

~I wonder how Gaara-sama is doing. ~ She thought to herself while she starred into the darkness. ~Ino did a diplomatic mission there a while ago, didn't she say he had become quite popular with the girls~ she thought to herself. Realising where her train of thought were heading, she blushed and shook her head.

She shifted her position and thought about the good old days with team Kakashi. Now Kakashi was the only one she even knew where to find… After finding Orochimarus hideout and Sasuke, but losing him again, Naruto went off on his own. That was more than five years ago now. She'd somewhat made friends with Sai and Yamato, but it just wasn't the same without the loud and obnoxious blonde. She was determined to keep herself from being depressed, and working to be a stronger ninja, to be their equal. Still, when Sasuke left it'd been devastating, but with Naruto gone, so many things seemed impossible. She could barely even smile for real. A tear trickled down Sakuras chin. She quickly wiped it away and cursed her brain for the directions of thought. ~Why do I have to choose between sad or inappropriate!?~ She thought to herself. Her brain responded by finding something silly –training with Lee and Gai-san.

"Oh just shut up!" she snapped loudly. Kiba and Lee jumped to their feet, ready to fight. Sakura cursed at herself. "I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean to wake you" she said sheepishly. "It was just a…ehm… squirrel making a… noise, and I suddenly got very… annoyed by it" she said as the two settled down again. "Why don't you get some sleep? I think me and Kiba slept enough" Lee offered. "Thanks, is it ok with you Kiba?" "Sure why not, I'm good" he quickly answered. "If you lie next to Akamaru you'll be warmer" he offered, and Sakura smiled at him and took place next to the giant dog. Akamaru gave a small approving bark.

While Sakura slept, Lee and Kiba did nothing but glare at each other. "You will not prevail, as long as I am here to stop you" Lee said suddenly. "What are you babbling about" Kiba retorted with an annoyed sneer. "You wanted to kiss her, that's what I'm talking about" Lee said, as he rose. "It was quite obvious, even if you can't see it yourself. I have loved her since I first laid eyes on her, so don't think you can just jump on the wagon whenever you feel like it". "So you're just jealous. It's true you've been in love with her since forever, but you're never getting anywhere, are you. Maybe it's time you get over it. She's obviously not interested" Kiba replied calmly while standing to look his rival in the eyes. Akamaru whined at the two, accidentally waking up Sakura.

"Alright, I think it's time to get a move on" Sakura said as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. She looked at the guys, doing some kind of weird stare-off. "What are you doing, is something the matter?" She asked quietly as she padded Akamaru on the head and got ready to leave. "No" the boys quickly answered with their eyes never leaving the others', obviously telling her the opposite, but that wasn't for her to stick her nose in unless it affected the mission. "If you say so, let's just get moving then" she said, wondering what was going on between the guys.

(In Suna)

"Gaara, how would you like to proceed today?" Inumi called from the kitchen, and the next second his sand clone materialized right beside her. "Our guests will be here soon, please welcome them at the gates, I will be delayed". "My, my, aren't you chatty today? I guess the council meeting will be dragged out as usual? I will make sure Haruno-san and the others are taken care of" She said. The clone dispersed and she finished her tea, before heading towards the gates.

(At the gates)

As the Konoha team neared the gates of Sunagakure, Sakura saw a familiar figure, although the closer they got the figure got both more familiar and a lot stranger. By the time they reached the gates Sakura was absolutely baffled. "Sakura-san, do you think it's possible that Gaara-sama has learned Naruto-kuns transformation jutsu?" Lee whispered as they walked the last bit. The girl before them were the female version of Gaara of the Sand. She had the same face, but more feminine. The same hair colour, but it reached all the way to her waist. Her eyes were cyan like Gaaras but she had pupils and eyebrows, also she lacked the dark circles around her eyes. She was wearing a similar outfit but had no kanji on her forehead.

"Welcome, Haruno-san, and your companions as well" the redhead said. "I am Inumi, secretary of the Kazekage. He will be joining us in a bit, but until then, please allow me to take you to the hospital, we are quite in need of your services". Sakura regained her posture and asked her to lead the way.

As they hurried to the hospital, Inumi informed Sakura about the attacks and the abilities of their medical force, as well as the injuries their ninja had sustained. "I'm sure you have some questions about me as well, Haruno-san, but we'll have time for that later" Inumi smiled as they reached the hospital. "Please report to Imoua Hatzuko in the hospital, he is the head medic and will be able to give you more details. Meanwhile, I shall show your companions to their housings. Inuzuka-san and Rock-san will be living in an apartment inside the Kazekage mansion, while the Sand siblings have insisted that you live in the main house with us". Sakura was about to question the 'us' Inumi had used, but the girl was already moving on with Kiba and Lee.

Sakura soon found Hatzuko and started dealing with the critical patients, as well as those with serious injuries. They managed to stabilize everyone, except one Jounin who had massive internal bleeding, and was too far gone to save when she'd arrived. Though it didn't stop her from feeling like a failure. She went with Hatzuko to the hospital cafeteria and sat down with a cup of tea to refresh herself. "We would've lost many more if you had not come, Sakura-san" Hatzuko reassured her. He was a young man, older than her but still young for a leading medic of a hospital. On the other hand, who was she to talk? She estimated he was around 28, maybe 29. He reminded her of Neji, only with a gentler face and blonde hair. "I was quite anxious to meet the fifth Hokages apprentice. You have quite the reputation, also here in Suna, after your team saved Kankuro-san and Kazekage-sama. Everyone here is looking forward to learning from you." He said, grabbing the attention of the absentminded konoichi. "Thank you Hatzuko-san, I'm honoured to have been chosen for this. I'm sure I have a lot to learn from Suna as well" she smiled.

"Ah, Inumi-san, have you come to find Sakura-san?" He greeted the Redhead. "Yes, I would like to take her to the mansion, so she can get settled in" she said. "The patients are stabilised so I will leave you for now Hatzuko-san" Sakura said and got up. Suddenly Hatzuko took her hand and placed something in it. Sakura was looking at a round pendant with a small white pearl in the centre, hanging from a thin chain of silver. She started to blush madly, when Hatzuko spoke. "It's a device that will let you know if we need you" he explained, laughing a bit at her read cheeks. "I'm sorry, I forgot to give it to you earlier". Sakura laughed sheepishly, thanked him and went on her way.

As they made their way to the Kazekage mansion, Sakura told Inumi about the status of the patients, and apologised for not arriving sooner. Inumi could tell that it hurt her to lose a patient. She changed the topic by suggesting different schedules for Sakura to use in the lessons she would start in a couple of days, once the hospital didn't need her as much. They talk about how she had befriended the sand siblings before and after the rescue of Gaara, when her team had lived with them for a couple of days. "We are having a dinner in the mansion tonight for you and your companions" she announced to Sakura as they entered the main house. "Go ahead, Temari is home already and I think Kankuro is too. I'll go talk to Lee-san and Kiba-san".

The mansion consisted of five buildings. The main building was a large round building with an adjoining wing on both sides, and behind it was a small sandstone garden with a building on either side. Kiba and Lee had been given an apartment in the building west by the garden, but the Sand siblings lived in the main building and the top floors of the east and west wing. The Kazekage had private quarters on the highest floor of the main building, right above a joint kitchen and living room, which connected the different rooms. Sakura walked through a room made for official visits, one flight of stairs up were residence for high class guests, and on the third floor she entered the resident living room. As soon as she got in, Temari came over.

"Hi Sakura, it's so nice to see you!" the blonde said and hugged her friend. "This is going to be wonderful, your room is right next to mine". She started dragging Sakura towards the east wing entrance and pulled her into the first room. "Mine is the next one, like that I'll be as far away from Kankuros room as possible" she laughed and stuck out her tongue. Sakura put her things on the bed and let Temari show her the rest of the residence. "It must've been nice moving in here" Sakura smiled. "Actually, we've lived here most of our lives. Our father was Kazekage before Gaara". How could she not have known that? Sakura mentally kicked herself. She promised herself to learn more about Suna and its history while she was here. They went to the living room and found Inumi in the kitchen, making tea for Kiba, Lee and Kankuro. Sakura talked with Kankuro who, again, thanked her for saving his life, while Kiba and Lee handed Temari some messages from Konoha, including a not-so-official letter sealed with the emblem of the Nara clan. "They even put in a dog bed for Akamaru!" Kiba excitedly told Sakura when they told her about the apartment they'd been given. "He wanted some rest though, so I'll bring some food for him later" he chuckled.

They were all chatting in the living room when Gaara arrived. The three Konoha ninjas stood, and Sakura went to greet the Kazekage. "Welcome home Kazekage-sama, we are honoured to be your guests. Thank you for your hospitality and inviting me to stay in your private residence. My companions and I are at your service". Gaara was surprised at her formality. She had saved his brother and helped revive him from the dead. "Gaara".

Sakura blinked.

"Call me Gaara, Haruno-san, we are beyond formalities. You and your comrades are welcome here" he stated calmly and held out his hand. Processing it for a second, Sakura lifted her hand to shake his, but instead she received a kiss on her hand. Gaara said something about important documents, excused himself from the room, and went to his quarters, leaving Sakura blushing from head to toe. She had not expected that. "You know, he's pretty happy you guys saved him, too" Kankuro said with a grin. Sakura regained her posture and sat back down with the rest. She needed to change the subject, everyone was looking at her.

"I've been dying to ask all day" she started. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, Inumi-san, but who are you? Your resemblance to Gaara-sama is uncanny and you live with the family in their home". She hit a jackpot, Kiba and Lee looked attentively at the three sand ninja, and Temari gestured for Kankuro to start, as if they'd told the story so many times it'd become a play. "After Gaara was rescued and brought home, he was ill from, well, being dead. He spent a lot of time in the hospital and after a while his kidneys gave out. Luckily that was the only major complication. We'd already started to look for a donor, when the younger brother of Chiyo-baasama, Ebizo-sama, said that the old council had a secret with the fourth Kazekage, our father. When our mother gave birth to Gaara, they had no idea she'd be having twins. Sakura and the others were baffled, staring at Inumi, who were just giggling in response, as Temari continued "Our mother also gave birth to Inumi, who was smaller and weaker than Gaara, but had not been touched by Shukaku, when they had sealed him within Gaara. They decided to send her away to live with a secluded foster family. Our father would visit once in a while, making sure that Inumi knew him and who she was, but making her understand that it was for her protection. When we went to meet her, she had pictures of us and was just happy to meet us. Of course she was happy to give Gaara a kidney after some extensive compatibility tests. When she and Gaara had recuperated, she and her foster family moved to Suna and we invited her to move in here".

"It's been five years now, and I still think Gaara is getting used to me, but I'm happy to finally be with my family" the redhead smiled sincerely. Sakura had no idea how to respond. Finding out you have an extra sibling, and a twin at that, it must've been quite the roller-coaster of emotions. "Inumi were never trained as a ninja, but she is quite perfect as Gaaras secretary" Temari enthusiastically told. It was quite clear she enjoyed having a sister.

As the new sand sibling were officially introduced downstairs, Gaara sat in front of his desk with a pen in his hand, writing a letter. However, he'd not written a single word, nor could he remember who he was addressing. All he could think of was why the bloody hell he'd kissed the Haruno girl's hand. He finally put down the pen and rubbed his eyes with two fingers, wondering if this was that 'giddy' feeling people talked of. It sure felt like the description. When she had been so formal, he'd almost resented it a bit, feeling that he needed to show her how he was indebted to her. Just as he was the rest of her team, and even the one downstairs in the green one-piece. Still, when she approached him, he'd noticed the years that had passed, and how she'd changed since he'd last seen her. He could objectively see that she was quite beautiful; the way she carried herself, her long pink hair resting on her shoulders. Realizing the inappropriate direction his mind was taking him, he shook his head. An ambassador from Konoha on a mission that would strengthen the relationship between the villages, was not to be thought of that way. He sighed and returned to his work, wondering why it had gotten so hot all of a sudden.


	2. 2 - Going out

"SAKURA-CHAN" Temari yelled. Sakura stirred and sat up in the bed. She looked at the alarm clock next to her. "Damn it" she cursed, hurrying into her usual attire; black tights and a short lavender dress without sleeves. She slipped in the necklace from Hatzuko and ran into the kitchen. "We had a difficult patient last night, she reacted badly to some medicine and we had to put her in an artificial coma for a while" she explained to the spikey-haired blonde as she fuzzed around the kitchen, making a breakfast-to-go. "Do you want me to postpone your first classes for a couple more days?" Inumi asked from the couch. "Thank you, but the sooner we start these lessons, the fewer mishaps we'll have at the hospital" Sakura said through a bite of toast, as she waved and headed out. A week and a half had been more than enough time to assess the abilities of the Suna medics, and it was certainly true that they needed some external help. Their methods weren't wrong, just outdated.

Outside the academy, Hatzuko was waiting for her. He gave her a quick tour of the building and led her to her classroom, where he introduced her to her first class. The medics in front of her were older than her. All of them. By the looks of it they weren't very fond of Hatzuko, and definitely not her. She had figured she'd be teaching students, so she hadn't thought of the older generations, who had already worked ass medics for years. "Any questions?" Hatzuko asked the class. Sakura realised she hadn't been paying attention to him as he spoke, and her stomach curled. An older man rose from where he was seated. "Are you really asking professional medics to be students to a little girl? You may be talented Hatzuko-san, but your arrogance has gone too far".

"You were ordered here by your Kazekage, were you not?" Sakura snapped at the man, taking him by surprise. "I am here on the request from your leader, to aid and educate you in a time of need, and this is how you treat your allies? I was sent by the Hokage of Konoha, Tsunade-hime, one of the legendary sanin, and the greatest medic and healer of our time. She appointed me, her apprentice, after I proved my worth as head medic at Konoha hospital. If you believe that I have nothing to teach you, sir, it is you who are ignorant. If so, leave, I have no desire to gain your approval". The silence was deafening, as Sakura stared down the older man. He finally seated himself with a scowl on his face. "Prove me wrong" he challenged. Sakura turned to Hatzuko, who was smiling brightly at her. "Thank you for the introduction, Hatzuko-san, I think we better get started" she smiled at him. "I'll be looking forward to joining one of your classes, but I must tend to the hospital for now" He said, and left her to it.

~This is going to be fun~ Sakura thought, as an assistant brought in an injured dessert fox, that had been found outside the village.

In the Kazekage office Gaara smirked. He had been curious about her first lesson, so he made sure that his sand-eye-jutsu was there so observe. And nothing humoured him more than seeing entitled old people being put in their place. He admired her as she made her speech. He had found himself very curious about the girl since her arrival, but wouldn't use excuses to learn more about the konoichi. A knock on the door brought him back to his office, as Inumi entered. "I've asked Sakura-san to join us for lunch, so she can report on her first lessons. I'm quite curious to hear how it went, aren't you?" she asked with a wink. Gaara dismissed his sister with a quick affirmation and wondered if she knew what he had been doing and if so, how? The girl still seemed alien to him at times, but he had to admit, it felt like she'd been missing, he just never realised.

They walked along the main street to the academy at lunchtime. Finding her in the last minutes of the class, the Kazekage and his secretary entered. The medics rose to pay their respects to their leader and Inumi went to talk to Sakura, who were finishing up the dessert fox, no injuries left. As the girls made to leave, Gaara spoke to the class; "I trust you have welcomed our honoured guest befittingly" he said as he cast an icy glance at the old man who had been rude. The man shrunk visibly and mumbled "one is never too old to learn from a colleague". With a satisfied smirk, Gaara left the room, followed by Inumi and a slightly blushing Sakura. Even though he was young, they certainly held their Kazekage in high respect. She blushed at being referred to as 'our honoured guest'. He had certainly learned some courtesies, although they didn't seem rehearsed or fake.

He was walking a couple of steps ahead of her, nodding to people paying him respects. She wondered if the kiss on her hand when she'd first arrived was just a simple courtesy. She blushed again and looked at him, as he greeted a family, asking if their house had been repaired after one of the attacks. He was quite handsome. He smiled politely as he wished them good fortune and continued down the street. She couldn't help but stare. ~What is up with this girl? ~ Gaara thought to himself as they went along. She had been staring at him for the longest time now, and it was becoming quite unnerving. He glanced at her shortly and saw her red cheeks and soft smile. What the hell was her deal?

They spent a good 40 minutes at a restaurant, before Sakura thanked them and went back to the hospital. Inumi excused herself to pay her foster family a visit and left Gaara to return to his office alone. Good thing too, his mind was fully occupied with deciphering this weird girl who kept stealing his attention and looking at him like that. He shrugged it off and returned to his duties.

When Sakura returned to the mansion late in the afternoon, the only one there was Kiba. "Oi, Sakura-chan, how was your first day of teaching?" he asked, and she told him about the rude old man, and how she'd made him eat his words by the end of the first day. "As expected, I guess he didn't know better… Akamaru and I have been joining Kankuros team and tracking down bandits. There was a few tough ones, but so far we haven't found any who could've dealt the damage to the city. Lee has been helping Temari-san with the city defence. You know Lee, he thinks the only answer to everything is more training" He chuckled.

"But actually I was waiting for you" he admitted, "I've been looking around the city for a good restaurant, so I had a nice place to take you when I asked you out, and I think I found the perfect one" he added with a wink. Suddenly dumbstruck, the only response she could form was a big question mark, written across her face. "I absolutely insist" he continued, "I promise I'll show you a good time. I'll be back to pick you up around 7". He rose from the couch, but stopped halfway, smirked, and planted a light kiss on her cheek, right by the corner of her mouth. Then he waved and left, as Sakura turned crimson from head to toe.

It was only a couple of minutes before Temari came home, finding Sakura completely flustered on the couch. "What happened, did you walk in on someone in the shower?" she asked kiddingly as Sakura almost started steaming. Sakura then told her of the events of a couple of minutes before, after which Temari grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the entrance under confused protests from Sakura. "Apparently you have a date tonight and nothing fit to wear for the occasion. We're going shopping" The blonde smirked at her, dragging her towards the inner city.

As they made their way from the Kazekage tower towards the mansion, Kankuro was reporting to Gaara about the bandits they'd found, and how none of them were the ones they were looking for. "I'll talk to Temari about increasing the village security further. I have a bad feeling about the attacks" Kankuro told him. Gaara agreed, there was something ominous about the whole thing. All of a sudden someone grabbed Kankuros arm. "You have to see this" Inumi said with the biggest grin. They gave each other a puzzled look and followed the giggling girl. She took them to a female clothes store and told them to stand behind a rack with some flowery dresses.

"Come on, let me see!" Temari ordered. Sakura reluctantly stepped out of the changing room in a short black skirt and a red top with a little too much cleavage showing. "I'm really not comfortable in this Temari" Sakura said as she looked in the mirror and tried to cover up her cleavage. Kankuro spluttered and Gaara shot Inumi a look that said 'What the hell'! "I thought you'd like to know" she grinned and joined the girls, leaving the guys still hidden. "Ah, there you are, Sakura has a date and we have to find something for her to wear" Temari informed her with a big smile. Kankuro, who'd been ogling at Sakura, suddenly had chills racing through his body. He slowly glanced at Gaara, only to find that he'd vanished. "Did he say where he was taking you?" Temari asked. "No" Sakura admitted. "He said that he'd been looking for the perfect place to take me, and now he found it". The crimson colour in her cheeks hadn't subsided since they left the mansion.

Gaaras room in the mansion was simple. A large bed with a nightstand, a desk with some official papers lying around, a wardrobe with his clothes, and a small table, couch and matching chair, placed by the glass door which lead to a balcony. He was sitting in the chair, leaning back, legs crossed, elbows on the armrests and his hands folded in front of his face. He was smouldering. Did this girls think she was on a vacation? She was in Suna for a purpose, not to enjoy that kind of frivolous activities. If she had that kind of time she should use it at the hospital, where she was useful. He grabbed an ornamental vase from the table and threw it against a wall, breaking it into a million tiny pieces. He strode over to the desk. He had more important things to worry about.

Kankuro sat on the couch downstairs when he heard the smash. ~Geez, he could at least try to be less obvious~ he thought to himself as he sat on the couch, waiting for the girls. He worried about the village, and what seemed like a calm before the storm, but now he had to deal with this too. At the same time he was a little proud of his kid brother. ~It's going to be great when he figures it out~ he thought with a grin across his face. Noises from the east wing grabbed his attention. Temari and Inumi came strolling out of the hallway with Sakura behind them.

Her hair was in a tall ponytail, with a few locks of hair framing her face. She wore a knee-length, dark blue cheongsam, with a pink embroidered flower pattern from her left shoulder to the right hip. A pair of sandals with a bit of heel finished it off nicely. She looked stunning.

She looked uncertain and was startled by a knock on the door. Temari went to get the door, and surely enough, Kiba was waiting outside. He strolled in, and started telling Sakura how beautiful she looked, until Temari shoved them out the door. "I have no intention of being a witness to that kind of sugary babble" she said waving her hand as if to dispel some kind of annoying insect. Outside the door Kiba chuckled and took Sakuras hand "Come on my lady, I'll lead the way". They strolled out the gates, talking about people back in Konoha and some of the things she'd missed out on, while she worked at the hospital. Gaara watched from his room as they left. His sand was moving around behind him, like an angry tail, while he was perfectly still. He flipped the couch table, and sat back down at the desk.

Kiba stayed true to his word; she really had fun. The town square had a little carnival with different games, ring tossing and throwing shuriken and such. Afterwards he took her to a restaurant on top of a building, with good food and a nice atmosphere. Of course they couldn't be that lucky, so in the middle of desert, an alarm went off. It was only sandstorm warning, but they made their way back towards the mansion, as the wind started blowing the sand around.

Suddenly Sakuras chest felt hot. The necklace from Hatzuko had started glowing, not burning her, but definitely grabbing her attention. "It was a nice evening Kiba, but they need me at the hospital" she said and started heading back towards the inner city. "Wait" Kiba said and grabbed her hand and headed towards a building for some cover. "I want to know if you'll let me take you out again" he asked. Sakura looked at him, "As much as I enjoyed myself, it just wasn't in the way you wanted. I'm sorry" She looked at him apologetically. Then he held her against the wall and kissed her. Taken by surprise, she pushed him away and walked towards the hospital. "I have to go!" she yelled. The wind was strong now, ripping the air out of her mouth. She heard Kiba yell something, but couldn't make it out. She decided to deal with him later.

As she reached the hospital, Hatzuko pulled her aside behind a wall as soon as she entered. Already agitated, she was ready to yell the living hell out of him, until he covered her mouth, and with an alert look pointed at three masked ninjas coming down the stairway. They were obviously hostiles. She knew they had to contact Gaara, but she didn't know how. She'd brought a small pouch, from which she drew a couple of needles, containing anaesthetics. Throwing them at her targets, she managed to paralyse them all. "We need to see if we can find out who they are" she told Hatzuko. They ran over and started inspecting the hostiles. It didn't take long before she sensed more coming. Hatzuko gave her a worried look, "We have to make sure the patients are safe". She nodded and headed upstairs.

Gaara and Kankuro were sitting in the couch, discussing the possible motive behind the attacks, and Temari and Inumi came running when they heard the doors to the living room burst open as Lee marched in. "Has Sakura-san returned" he demanded. "Not yet, but why should she, she's out" Temari said, crossing her arms. "I did not know that she'd gone out with Kiba!" he started, "I only learned it when he came home, said he kissed her and got rejected, before she ran back into the city!" he practically yelled. Temari ran to the window, "It's not safe to be outside at this point, even for her" she fussed, getting her fan. "You're not used to the sandstorms, stay here with Inumi" Kankuro ordered as he got ready as well. Gaara was already headed out. He only stopped to hear Lee tell, that Kiba mentioned her necklace glowing. Before his siblings were ready, he's already left.

At the hospital Sakura had engaged several hostiles. She and Hatzuko had been moving around, gathering the patients in the cafeteria so no one would be taken hostage. Now she just had to defend them until someone noticed the commotion. ~It will be hard with the storm outside~ she thought. Hatzuko had erected a protective barrier around the patients, but she still couldn't use her full strength without levelling the entire hospital and endangering the people. The limitations had made her vulnerable, and she'd taken quite a few hits. As one of the assailants went for the civilians, Sakura deflected his attack, but as a result received a blow to her side with a chakra-infused katana. She punched her attacker through a wall and trapped another in a genjutsu, while engaging in hand to hand combat with three others. Barely managing to keep them at bay, she cursed under her breath when three others showed up, forcing her to the limit. Her sight was growing hazy as she lost blood from the deep gash in her side, but she refused to give up. These people were depending on her. Though she was clear in her resolve, her body was failing her. Right then the windows broke and sand was thrown in with the powerful gushes of wind. She snapped the neck of one of the hostiles as he was distracted, but lost her footing and got knocked in the ground by the guy next to him. He stood over her with a hellish grin, grabbed her injured side, making her cry out in pain. Then he took his bloody hand and smeared it across his face, before raising at katana to strike her.

And then he was gone. Through the pain and blood loss she could barely make out his red hair and pale skin. But when he picked her up, she saw his eyes and stopped fighting the pain. Before the darkness engulfed her, she placed a hand on his cheek and smiled.


	3. 3 - Waking up

The pain woke her up again. She tried to cry out, but nothing happened. She forced her eyes open.

She was in the hospital. The lights were dimmed, but she could make out three figures. Two on her right and one sitting by a desk on her left. The desk lamp lit up Hatzukos face. She felt the tube down her throat that was helping her breathe. Sakura concentrated and purposely made her heart skip a beat, sending the heartrate monitors alarms blaring. Hatzuko knocked over the chair and rushed over, as did the two figures, who turned out to be Kankuro and Kiba. She smiled and winked weakly at Hatzuko, who then gave a chuckle, "Sakura-san that was the worst way of getting someone's attention, ever". Her eyes smiled weakly. "Kankuro-san, please inform the rest that she's awake. Kankuro laid a hand on her head and gave a choked-up laugh, before hurrying out the door. Kiba looked at her with tears in his eyes, "I'm sorry Sakura, I'm so sorry! I was so stupid, I should've stayed with you. It's all my fault!" tears were streaming down his cheeks. Not being able to speak, she placed her needle-free hand on the side of his head and blinked slowly. Kiba grabbed in tightly.

"Kiba-san, please wait outside while I make some preliminary tests" Hatzuko told the crying man. He nodded quietly and put her hand down, leaving the room. Hatzuko made the room a little brighter, and started checking her vital signs. As he did, he told her how the Kazekage had arrived and killed or captured all but one of the assailants, after securing her. She had been in a coma because of her injuries, since the Suna medics only had had one day of lessons, which hadn't been enough for them to do more for her. She had been unconscious for 17 days. He slowly removed the incubation tube, and had her hoarsely answering questions to check her brain. By the time he was done she could hear quite a lot of people. "Was anyone else injured?" she managed to ask. Hatzuko smiled at her, "Kazekage-sama had some minor injuries, but thanks to you, no one else was hurt". He walked towards the door. "Are you well enough for visitors?" he asked with his hand on the doorknob. Sakura smiled and nodded slowly. Hatzuko placed himself in the doorway, "please simmer down. She's awake but still a bit weak" he told the crowd.

Then people started entering. First Temari, then Lee, Inumi, Kiba, Kankuro and Kakashi. Even Akamaru had been turned into a smaller version and barked happily from on top of Kiba's head. Temari started lecturing her for being so reckless, all while hugging her. "How come you're here?" she asked, looking at Kakashi. "Well, Kiba and I didn't really do a good job protecting you" Lee answered with a sad smile. "We're going back to Konoha when you're out of the hospital" he added. Sakura looked at Kakashi, "that's not necessary, is it?" she asked. "It's Tsunade-sama's orders, I'm in no position to argue" he answered calmly. "It's true Sakura-chan, we didn't do our job, you were severely injured" Kiba added. ~I guess there is some sense in it~ she thought to herself, as Temari finally let go and people squeezed her hands and patted her on the head.

After a while Hatzuko sent people home, allowing Sakura to get some rest. He checked that everything was in order and excused himself. Exhausted from the painkillers and the visit, she sighed and closed her eyes. "How long are you going to stay out there?" she asked, eyes still closed in the empty room. The window creaked open as he sat down in the frame. She turned her head and looked at him.

Gaara sat silently in the window, looking at her with his usual straight face. But he looked tired, like he hadn't slept at all.

Sakura held out her hand. He came down from the window and took it. Then she pulled his hand closer, until she could give it a light kiss. "Thank you for saving me too, Gaara. Please stop calling me Haruno, my name is Sakura" she said and looked at him with a weak smile. Then she fell asleep, still holding his hand. He didn't move it, but instead pulled over a chair and sat down. He would watch over her tonight.

After a week Sakura was giving lectures again, though in the hospital, and five days later she was discharged. As she walked down the main street towards the Kage mansion with Ino and Temari, she finally heard what had become of the attackers. A few members of the Suna council wanted Gaara replaced as Kazekage, with someone easier to control. In order to make him seem unfit for protecting his people, they'd launched attacks on the village with outside help. The councilmembers had all been imprisoned for treason. In the time she'd been unconscious and the time she'd stayed at the hospital, the city was back to normal. The only thing bothering her was that she hadn't seen a certain redhead since she woke up, but that would only be a matter of time, now that they would be living under the same roof again. Except he was never there. Half of the council were empty seats, and filling them required careful consideration, as well as excessive amounts of boring politics. Gaara was swamped.

During the next month, Sakura would only catch a glimpse of the Kazekage, when he made official appearances. Teaching at the academy kept her busy though, and she enjoyed watching her students' progress, both the older and the younger ones'. That was until one night during dinner. Kankuro had told a really dirty joke, for which he received a smack across the back of his neck by Temari, sending him face-first into his plate. Sakura laughed heartily, and almost didn't hear the knock on the door. Kakashi entered with Gaara right behind him. Kakashi was obviously thrilled, but even Gaara was smirking. ~It really suits him~ Sakura thought to herself as they approached the table, until she realised he was aiming for her, still smiling. He offered her his hand to come to a stand, and she did. "I brought you a surprise" He said softly and looked at the open door.

~Is he toying with me? ~ She thought to herself, as she took his hand. Her stomach fluttered at the way he was looking at her, but the smile was layered. She could see the devilish look of someone up to no good, as well as real happiness shining through. Something made him happy that he was now going to use on her. As she looked at the door, time slowed down. He came into sight, hands behind his big head full of bright yellow hair, a wide grin plastered across his face. He wore the signature orange and black jumpsuit, she would know anywhere.

"Hi Sakura-chan." He said, smiling and looking at her with those big bright blue eyes.

It was really him.

At first she could hardly breathe, her knees started shaking. She held on to Gaara as her eyes started tearing up. Then she lunged forward, and punched him through the wall.


End file.
